When Bronte Construction was awarded the Pelee Point Boardwalk restoration tender, they knew they were signing themselves up for a challenge.
Tasked with repairing a decades old boardwalk in the provincial park’s wetlands, Bronte had to somehow figure out a way to deliver the necessary torque required to drive piles from a structure not strong enough to support the weight of the machines that could deliver it. And they had to do it quickly.
“We put our heads together to come up with a creative solution,” said Mike Kelly, Bronte Construction’s deep foundation superintendent, adding with a laugh that they “were even thinking about floating a mini excavator on a barge to work next to the old boardwalk.”
More than demolition
The Husqvarna DXR series of remote-controlled robots may be the very latest in the demolition machines lineup, but they are capable of much more. Not only are they precise, maneuverable and stable machines, but they’re able to work in the tightest and most dangerous job situations.
They’re also capable of delivering tremendous power at a fraction of the weight of their excavator counterparts.
Using the DXR 140, a 985-kg machine, Bronte Construction was able to operate and manoeuvre the machine directly from the boardwalk they were repairing. No floating mini-excavators needed.
Reaching 5,000 psi of torque, it also had no difficulty driving the piles into the wetlands.
It became clear to both Bronte and Creighton Rock Drill that the possibilities of the DXR could only be limited by the imaginations of those using it.
“It was the perfect tool for the job. It’ll be really exciting to see what we’ll be able to do with it next” Kelly said.
On the smaller end of the lineup, the DXR 140 is the Husqvarna’s most compact robot.
Its arm is able to rotate 360 degrees, allowing more reach to enable the operator to work more efficiently without moving the robot.
Using a variable load-sensing axial piston pump, the DXR 140 delivers 52 litres per minute of hydraulic flow, reaching a maximum hydraulic pressure of 250 bar.
The robot may be controlled wirelessly up to 100 metres, or via a cable.
Husqvarna currently offers five demolition robot models ranging in weight from 967 kg to 2,020 kg and 20 to 30 horsepower.
The 30 hp DXR 300 is the company’s most powerful remote-controlled demolition robot.
Husqvarna entered the demolition robot market in 2009, following demand from its customer base.
Through Creighton Rock Drill, the remote-controlled robots are available for rent or purchase anywhere in Eastern Canada.
